More than 20 inches of snow fell in some areas. Power outages, school and business closings, motorists stranded on roadways and public transit disruptions complicated life in the city and suburbs.

Bridget DoyleTribune reporter

As of midnight Monday, Chicago officially broke the record for longest stretch between measurable snowfalls at 281 days. And, with very little chance of precipitation this week, the area’s snowlessness could break another record.

The latest date Chicago has ever received measurable snowfall was 0.3 inches recorded on Dec. 16, 1965, said National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Ratzer.

A relatively warm, dry week is ahead of this year’s Dec. 16, on Sunday, Ratzer said, with highs in the upper-40s and possibly into the 50s by Friday. There is a 70 percent chance of precipitation for Saturday, but he said it’s not likely to produce snow.

“It doesn’t look like we’ll have measurable snow through Sunday,” Ratzer said Tuesday morning. “Right now it looks like a rain-producing storm system for us. It could produce a rain/snow mix, but that’s not what’s in our forecast.”

Ratzer said a trace of snow was measured at O’Hare Airport on Monday, but it didn’t accumulate to the one-tenth of an inch considered to be “measurable.” However, Monday did produce measurable snow for western Mendota and Rochelle, Ill., he said.